Vocab.Week.16.

One of the things I’d like you to start working on is your visual vocabulary. Beneath is your list of words in its entirety. You must find or create an image that fits at least 8 of them, and write a brief paragraph about why your picture works and the meaning of the word. Keep in mind - there are more words this week than we’re used to, so be sure to be studying regularly throughout the week. Without further adieu:

acquiesce
amorous
aroma
awkward
consummate
conversely
deleterious
delirium
ecstasy
enamored
futile
incantation
inevitability
infatuation

Stand up, student intellectual warriors!!!

An interesting article was forwarded to me by a colleague this weekend. As we’ve discussed, funding for educational technology on a state and federal level are constantly being reduced and challenged. Here is the first few paragraphs, please follow the link for the rest.

Classrooms Have Become Unnecessarily High Tech

by Matt Baxter

“Three cheers for the non-stop, high-tech assault on the public school classroom. Hip! Hip! Hoo . . . what? Five billion dollars spent annually on education technology? Test-taking software that instantly tabulates on wireless devices and reports if the students have learned anything? Web design to show Grandma in Milwaukee the new art project?
The integration of technology into public schools has its place, because technology is obviously an important part of our lives. We need our children to be computer literate, so they can use the self-service checkout at the library and so they can keep up with the Joneses by ordering online. Whether the children grow up to be software programmers or they have to punch a clock, it’s all computers.
But exactly how important is it that we inundate the educational process, specifically elementary and middle schools? In high school, where future goals and plans are pinpointed, there could be more of a need for understanding the finer points of your friendly word processing program.
In the younger grades, however, students are learning how to learn, they are learning how to get along with those ubiquitous human creatures that still populate the earth. Very little in these early grades needs to be digital, electronic or high def.
Other potential crises include the constant need for technological assistance, ongoing teacher training, upgrades to systems and programs, and much more. Education is not inherently such a flexible institution. Things should be put in place that can work for more than one or two years before they become obsolete.
I don’t think 20-year-old science textbooks that tout the advent of the four-pound cellular telephone are particularly relevant, but most math, language, and social studies lessons from the good old days are still trustworthy. Why not just mark out any inexact passages with a forty-nine cent permanent marker rather than spending $30,000 on all new textbooks?”

Click here to read the rest!

Frequently educational issues like these are debated and rarely do students have a chance to weigh in and enter the fray of discourse. So, how neat would it be to have everyone in our class write out some thoughts and respond?! Whether you agree or not, they’re talking about you and what you ‘need for a good education.’ Perhaps you have something to say. But let’s refine our thoughts and writing before we make any hasty comments? They’ll be in digitally permanent ink, and have your name on them.

Check this beauty out!!!

Look at the success some of our classmates have had already!!!! :)

Read the emails below from bottom to top...Congrats guys! I am so proud of you! I acknowledge you all for your hard work, and for creating such amazing possibilities for these people! I am so excited to see what comes out of this! :)


-----Original Message-----
From: Gauthier Dieudonne [mailto:gdieudonne@fonkoze.org]
Sent: Sat 4/26/2008 11:32 PM
To: Fonkoze@aol.com; Danielle Nisan
Subject: RE: Seed Donations

Hi guys

This is exciting. As I am reading this, it seems like you heard my call. I
have been asking for seeds such as carrots, cabbage, eggplant, beats,onions,
tomatoes and okra to provide to the 150 families who are part of the CLM
program at Fonkoze. The rainy season has started and we already have them
preparing the ground for them to have a vegetable garden. Seeds right would
come in pretty handy. I got some promise from some people but we haven't
received anything yet. It is very commendable what you guys are doing. There
are very few 11th graders who bother thinking about world hunger or even
consider doing something about it. I wish you courage and continuity in your
endeavor.

Thank you in advance in the name of our CLM members.

Gauthier Dieudonne

CLM/Tikredi Director
at Fonkoze.
-----Original Message-----
From: Fonkoze@aol.com [mailto:Fonkoze@aol.com]
Sent: Sunday, April 27, 2008 12:41 AM
To: dnisan@hightechhigh.org
Cc: gdieudonne@fonkoze.org
Subject: Re: Seed Donations


Dear Danielle, Alejandra, Mya and Eli,

Thanks to all of you for your foresight and the action you have taken to
start up CEED. It is a wonderful concept and will be a wonderful
contribution to the food problem in Haiti.

It also comes as a gift from heaven for Fonkoze. We have a program for the
"ultra-poor" (that means the poorest of the poor), those who have absolutely
no assets whatsoever. We select them through a process in which we get a
village of about 50 families to help us map out the village and classify
everyone in it according to their wealth or lack of wealth. Then we do home
studies of those in the poorest categories so that we can be sure we are
selecting only those families that could not make it in any of our regular
microcredit programs. Then we work with these very poorest families for an
18-month period to help them build their confidence, start some kind of
enterprise (like raising chickens), and help them to grow the enterprise
until they can feed their families. During the 18 months we make sure all
the kids are in school, that everyone has access to health care, that they
have a house that doesn't leak, that they have a latrine, etc. One of the
things we are trying to do with them now is help them learn to plant food
that would be healthy for the families -- and we desperately need seeds! All
we have been able to find is seeds for trees, but we want seed for
vegetables or small fruit trees like lime trees or avocado trees.

I am copying the director of the program -- Gauthier Dieudonne -- on this
email so that he will know of your program and can communicate with you
exactly what he needs in terms of seeds. He is a wonderful Haitian man, and
I am sure he would be happy to email you. Although both of us are right now
on our way to India where there is going to be a meeting of the four
institutions from around the world that are all trying programs like this.
Actually the program was started by a institution called BRAC (Bangladesh
Rural Advancement Committee) in Bangladesh. The program is now being
replicated in Haiti, India, Pakistan and Ethiopia.

I thought you might like to see a picture of one of the families as we
found them. I am also sending you a picture of Gauthier. By the way, if you
go on our website and look at the recent newsletters, you will find an
article about this program. It's called Chemen Lavi Miyo, which means in
Creole "The Pathway to a Better Life". It's the Fall 2007 issue.

Again, thank you so much for the action you have taken!
Anne Hastings


Anne H. Hastings
Director, Fonkoze
Ave Christophe, #119
Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Tel: (509) 2-513-9082; 2-221-7631
Fax: (509) 2-245-7254
Cell: (509) 3-701-3910 or (509) 3-556-3910
From the US: 1-800-293-0308


Please see our website at www.fonkoze.org




In a message dated 4/25/2008 11:26:41 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,
dnisan@hightechhigh.org writes:
Dear Ms. Hasting;

I am an 11th grader at High Tech High International in San Diego.
Recently, in my humanities class, we have been talking about the global
food crisis and we are looking for ways to help. I am trying to
incorporate another project I am doing right now. A group of three
other students and myself are starting a non-profit called Community
Environmental Education and Development (C.E.E.D).

My plan is to ask people within our community to help send seeds to
Haiti in a program called "Send CEEDs". I would love to start up the
program but we still need a base in Haiti to send our donations. Let me
know if you think you can help and if there is any changes you may have.

If you could please contact me as soon as possible that would be very
helpful.

Thank you,
Danielle Nisan
Email: dnisan@hightechhigh.org
Phone: (619)916-8606

Other co-founders of C.E.E.D:
Alejandra Torrero
Mya Clausius-Davis
Eli Parzen

Hungry in Haiti

Thousands are slowly, painfully starving in Haiti. Hunger riots are breaking out. Where is this on the news?

I challenge you to do something about it. You will have a week to do something about this (after STAR testing, May 7th). First, learn more about the food crisis happening in several impoverished parts of the world right now. Understand this is not an academic exercise; it is real. Then do something about it. What you do, and how you do it, is up to your group. But the requirement is that you help at least one person inside Haiti.

Often I’ll read about the heart-wrenching conditions in various parts of Africa, and wish there was something I could do, but the truth is Africa has always felt far away. Haiti is different, they’re in our own backyard, not too far off the tip of Florida:

Start with research. How bad is the problem? How did it get to this point? What are we doing about it as a country? Is it enough - is our response sizable and quick enough to make the difference? Are there organizations to help? What can we do as individuals? Below, find a few links to get you started.

I would like you to send me a comment/email and tell me what your group's plan is, and how well it is coming along. I will be sending $15 to the UN's World Hunger Programme to feed 10 people for a week.

Empty Bellies Bring Rising Anger - NYTimes

The Silent Tsunami - The Economist

How The Rich Starved The World - NewStatesman

News.Google.Com

Internship Reminders

Internship:

Your DP must be updated immediately. Erin has been kind enough to be flexible with you, but if you do not have your photojournalism site up and ready FRIDAY, April 25th, then you will get a ZERO. Get it done!!!!!

Your DP must be updated, and must include the following:

1. A link to your internship
2. Site name - description of work/mission
3. Link to mentor interview
   
4. Link to project proposal/summary of their site/project
5. Picture of you from your internship

Also, May 7th is the Internship Exhibition!!!

California Association for High-Speed Trains

Here is some more information if you wanted to learn more about the rail proposal:

http://mmiller81.wordpress.com/2008/02/18/california-high-speed-rail-proposal/

If you are interested, I can send you the mindmap I created for it (although not very detailed).

"America on Trial" (rough draft)

America on Trial Project

Overview:

In our next project in 11^th grade humanities, we will be putting the U.S. government on trial. The goal of the project is to take a serious look at U.S. policy both domestically and internationally. The inquiry into what the American government does for its citizens, and for the world community, will allow all of us to look at the historical context for many of the policies currently being used by our government. Ultimately, we will have a chance to explore many rich and open ended questions around U.S. policy and attempt to answer the question of whether or not the U.S., as the world’s sole superpower, is doing more harm than good for the world.

In an effort to ensure that each of us remains part of a constructive process, as opposed to viewing these issues from the sidelines and merely complaining, a second component of the project will be for each group to create a non-profit or think tank related to the trial issue they will be discussing. For example, if you are defending American foreign policy, you might create a policy paper that can be sent to your local representative expanding on America’s current strategy of helping spread democracy to different regions of the world.

The first step is setting up the mission statement and name of your nonprofit, as a group. The mission statement will help remind you of your goal and purpose. However, you will also individually submit a proposal on what you would like to indict/defend America on.

You will be receiving additional information through class discussion, lectures and handouts on the following deliverables for this project.

Deliverables for the trial:

· Legal brief

o Each group must develop a legal brief for the trail laying out your arguments and counterarguments. We will be discussing this in class over the next few weeks.

o Length

o DUE DATE:

· Participation in the trial

o We will discuss the forum, and legal procedures in class.

o DUE DATE:

AND

Deliverables for the non-profit:

· Bylaws, Articles of Incorporation, Mission Statement, etc.

· Website

· Two events to raise awareness about your issue

o One includes exhibition, May 29

OR

Deliverables the think tank:

· Website

· Policy paper

o Length

o DUE DATE:

o Example

· Two events to raise awareness about your cause

o One includes exhibition, May 29

Vocab.Week.13.

You know the drill. Do FIVE images. :)

revere -
vertigo -
punitive -
slander -
squander -
panache -
forlorn -
quell -
concision -
libel -
defamation -
misdirection -

READ ME...

I hope you all have a great weekend - I will be enjoying myself in Boston as the Red Sox devour the dreaded Yankees. :)

Your only homework for the weekend is to make sure your Hall of Icons project is finished to showcase and present on Monday.

Also, I want you all to brainstorm for your nonprofits. Feel free to comment below on what genre you want to work on. Use this information to help you determine who is in the nonprofit, etc.

Also, we will have vocabulary for the week, as well as current events.

Don't roll your eyes at me Maryross.

I will miss you all!

Elika :)

Hall of Icons...

What a great week!! I loved the constant energy in the classroom - and I truly enjoyed the laughs...

So now that we are done with the actual painting of your icons, I want to have you do the writing aspect. Consider questions, such as:

1. How did the social movement start? What caused it?
   
2. Why was it created?
   
3. Who were some key players? (popular and more unknown)
   
4. How was it popularized?
5. Why was it significant? What did it do?

Consider the "who, what, where, when, why" while doing this part...Also, make sure you check the directions I originally gave you.

Have everything finished for this project TODAY!

I am so proud of all of you!!!

All my love,
Elika :)

Reminders

College Day:

1. Permission slips due
2. Dress Professionally
3. You MUST go to internship on time
1. If you are taking public transportation FROM there, make sure you have mapquested beforehand, so you do not get lost!!!
   

For more information: nacacnet.org


Internship:

Your DP must be updated by next Monday, April 14th...It must include the following:

1. A link to your internship
2. Site name - description of work/mission
3. Link to mentor interview
   
4. Link to project proposal/summary of their site/project
5. Picture of you from your internship

April - Sexual Assault Awareness Month

Friends,

Many people don't know that April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

Well if ya don't know, now ya know!!

Current statistics are that an American is raped every 2 minutes. In case you don't feel like doing the math that's 30 every hour, 720 every day, and 262,800 every year.

Worldwide the numbers are 1 in 3 girls under the age of 18 and 1 in 4 boys under the age of 18. For adults it's 1 in 3 women and 1 in 10 men.

How many of these survivors do you know? How many of these survivors are our own loved ones? How many of us are survivors of sexual assault ourselves?

Stop the violence! Spread the knowledge!

The good news is that there has been a 35% increase in rapes reported to the police. Let's keep this trend going! Let's support our fellow community members by creating safe spaces for people to share their experiences, by educating ourselves on the facts about rape, and by sharing this information with our loved ones and the generations to come.

Check out these links and educate yourself!

http://www.ncjrs.gov/notices/ovw/saam/

http://www.sa.psu.edu/UHS/sexassault/assault.cfm

http://www.rainn.org/

And a helpful site for anyone going through (or about to go through) legalities:

http://criminal.findlaw.com/?DCMP=KWC-G-PUBLIC

2008 Goldman Sachs Foundation Youth Prize for Excellence in International Education

Asia Society and The Goldman Sachs Foundation are pleased to announce the 2008 Youth Prizes for Excellence in International Education. Up to five winners will be selected to receive up to $10,000 each as well as an all-expense paid trip to New York City in November 2008 to receive their prize.

The 2008 competition asks students to create an in-depth written essay or multimedia feature examining a social or economic issue that has relevance to them in a global context. In the essay category, students will compare and contrast how the issue affects their community and a community abroad, as well as create recommendations for what lessons the two communities could learn from each other. In the multimedia category, students will explore how a global problem or challenge affects their life as an individual, as a member of their local community, and/or as a global citizen.

Please visit http://askasia.org/students/gsfprizes.html for the contest questions, eligibility rules, guidelines and helpful hints, and submission instructions. The deadline for applications for the Youth Prizes is Thursday, June 12, 2008.

The 2007 winners of The Goldman Sachs Foundation Prizes for Elementary/Middle Schools, High Schools, States, and Media/Technology Organizations have just been announced! Please visit http://www.internationaled.org/prizes/ for more information about the 2007 winners and for the announcement of the 2008 cycle of prizes in early autumn.

Sincerely,

The Goldman Sachs Foundation Prizes Team

Days of Grace

I should preface this poem by explaining that this man, an extraordinary poet and no poet at all, died of Lou Gherig’s disease. It is a painfully debilitating, brutal disease that leaves nothing intact except one’s mind: it never affects the cognitive, emotional, or spiritual in us. Which, honestly, can seem like more of a curse than less. This is D.H. Bleything’s poem, given to the students of Death and Dying - a class that pairs medical students with patients who know they will be dying soon and volunteer to help doctors communicate the coming of death to patients well - students whom he would not live to meet. Though he never had a chance to meet with these students, he was able to pass on these perfect, perfect words.

Days of Grace

My days of grace played out quickly.

Not grace, but splinters driven into the skin.

My prayers have dried up.

I have lost my music.

Not music the husks of prayers.

_______________________________________

The sun must always set. For Randy Pausch, professor at Carnegie Mellon University and early pioneer of virtual reality, it is setting soon. Colleges and Universities across the nation have featured “Last Lecture” series, where professors are asked to give a lecture as if they knew it were to be their last lecture before they died. What would they say? What wisdom would they pass on to their students?

So, what I’d like to ask you to do today, most excellent students, is related to these things.

I would like you to begin working on a creative performance piece that will be due in class on Monday. I say “performance piece” even though I’m considering this a writing exercise, because I don’t want to limit you. You could do a lecture, you could do spoken word, but there’s a written component to it (whether it’s the script, the poem, etc.). I’d like you to work on your own for this one as it is a very personal piece of work.

The prompt is this:

You have only a limited time left to live. You are somehow able to leave a message behind, to pass on some final thoughts. What is your message?

Maybe you are working on the space shuttle and a deadly series of incoming solar flares is detected. You are able to send 3 minutes of video footage to earth before it hits.

Maybe control of a nuclear missile silo in Russia has been compromised, and one is headed towards Southern California. Maybe you are a part of the last stand, along with every other red Fruit Loop, against the continuing tyranny of the neighboring Cheerio nation. And, knowing the coming battle will be your last, set down some words on paper for your children to know their father by and, perhaps, to help them live a proud life.

It is creative in that you set the context of the scene. The why, and how, and how soon...As well as sending the message.

Here’s the rule - or the headfake, to use Randy’s language - no matter how silly, or how funny your context may be, the heart of your message must be earnest and sincere. If you really did know you were going to die, and you really did have a chance to say something meaningful to those you loved and offer some piece of advice… well, what would it be? So, whatever you decide to say, and however you decide to say it, be earnest at heart.